Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-08-04
NOT Up TO THE MARK.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORMERS EXPRESS
THEIR DISSATISFACTION

President with Sincerity in the Reform
Cen. Rosecrans on Grand Army Mat
ters Randall Feted - Later Returns
from Kentucky.
NEWPORT. r l.. Aug. 4-The National
Civil Service Reform league met here
Wednesday and was attended by delegates
from most of the states The principal event
of the day was the speech OF George William
Curtis, president of the league. Mr.. Curtis
held that the facts that civil service reform
was the subject of good deal of discussion
in the public presses and upon the stump, and
that much of the partisan censure of the
present administration was on the ground
that an absolute standard of reform was not
maintained, together with other less notable
facts, were evidence of deep public interest
in the reform, and upon this he congratulated
the league
Regarding the progress of reform during
the present administration, Mr. Curtis was
evidently disappointed He declared that
the president was heart and soul reformer,
and is vet, and if be should announce that
he was no longer in favor of this reform, that
announcement would have a very hostile in
uppiI liS lc-tlcfitpiis t'i II HthlI
ALLEVIATE a large body OF intelligent citizens
who bad voted for him solely because be to
them was the man to reform the civil service
But the pressure had been too strong, as it
had been with Gen, Grant, aud the facts
showed what the speaker much regretted
that outside of the classified service about as
rapid progress toward making a complete
change had been made a. was practicable
There were he sai1 about l2u 100 places I'M
der the government, of which about IS, 900
were chief places OF these latter changes
had been made IN two years aud five months
in from a. 010 to 4S 900, involving in nearly
every case a rapid change in the subordi
mates
The speaker gave many figures to Illustrate
the scope and significance of the changes He
said that If in the poStoffice department the
same rate of change continued during the
next two years as during the past two the
| entire body Of pustnasters with very few
| exceptions, would be politically changed, and
with the postmasters all the employees de
pendent on them
Substantially the whole of this vast and uni
verSaly diffused service whose smaller Offices are
| the local headquarters If the administration
party, and are often given to local editors whose
| newspapers thus subsidized by the govern
menf would have undergone q complete partisan
| reconstruction.
Practically, repeat. th-re has been a very
general partisan reconstruction OF the national
| civil service.
| He then went on to say that while the
| league could not charge the president with
| insincerity or indifference, still it must be
just to itself, and it would not be 50 if it did
not plainly and emphaticalIV declare that il
does not regard the administration, however
worthy of respect and confidence for many
reasons as in any strict serse of the words a
| civil service reform administration
| Mr. Curtis then criticised the action Of the
president III the Benton and Stone cases In
regard to the -circular" Of the president on
the subject Of interference in politics by
| federal Otfireholders the speaker said
| OF other officer, besides Mr. Benton and Mr.
Stone who in disregard of the circular have taken
| part in the manipulation of party primary meet
| ings and nominating conventions as weI as in
dictation of party action, none 50 far as | am
| aware, have heen removed The circular rs a
warning. there fore. has been neglected with i'm
punity and as an order it is dead letter Very
recently il has been Csentatioilsly and fiagranty
| defied in Baltimore and. should should the def
ance pass unremarked, The circular NAV be re
| earded withdrawn
| Reports We're then heard from the various
| delegates. most of whom stated that the
| league was increasing iii strength while some
could only say that it was holding its own.
Among those making reports WAS Senator
| FOulke, of Indiana, who said that all Indiana
is run by machine and the reform associa-
ton is bound hand and foot and consigned to
the spoiler Mr.. Montgomery, of Philad5I
PhiladeIp phis poStoffice 1872 were Democrats.
Resolutions were then adopted which, after
including the general propositions of Mr. Cur
tis' speech relating to the presidents good
faith but the practical failure of his efforts
etc, call for an investigation by the loca
league of the conduct of federal officials IL
the Baltimore primary elections and provide
that il the charges against them are truf
the president be requested to dismiss the of
tenders; call for the extension of the svstem
to the postal mail service, clerical Indiar
service. the District officials, and all office:
where less than fiftv Jerks are required. and
| the inclusion of heads Of bureaus and divis-
| ions III the classified service: advocate the
consideration of nominations to the seItate in
open session of that body, the placing npon
the public record of all appointments and
| removals and of the reasons for the latter
also the reasons for nor selecting the highest
upon the eligible lists when such Is not done.
favor the repeal of the act limiting the ten
ure of office of inferior officials 10 four years
and hold the rule adopted in private busines;
a good one i'll public busiuess-that compe
tency, fidelity, and good behavior alone de
eide the tenure; call upon the different state
associations to urge the adoption of the merit
system in state appointments where it doe
not now obtain and TO watch its enforcement
where it does: resolve that the association,
continue to require candidates for office tc
''come out" plainly on the question whether
they are for or against civil service reform al
| the leagIie Advocates il